discovering the acai bowl

December 21, 2018

Not sure what I thought an acai bowl was. I certainly had heard of it. Never gave it much thought.

If I had known it was a healthy smoothie-in-a-bowl, I probably would have made an effort to try it much sooner!

It is basically a smoothie topped with granola. It is said to have been originally invented by Brazilian surfers, but soon spread to other areas with large surfing cultures – like Maui and California.

My current favorite at Playa Bowls. The Olas Bowl is made up of a banana blend topped with granola, banana, blueberry, coconut flakes, chia seeds & almond butter.

The acai is a berry in Brazil that looks similar to a grape and is a super source of antioxidants. Since it goes badly very quickly, you won’t find it fresh in stores. Instead, in the grocery store, you will find it as a frozen puree.

When making the bowls, some places started substituting the acai for pitaya (another name for dragon fruit). Pitaya is found in Mexico and Central America. It is sweeter and has more nutrients than acai. It tastes more like a watermelon – whereas acai is more like a blackberry in taste.

My first taste of an acai or pitaya bowl was when my daughter took me to a place called Playa Bowls in Connecticut. Jersey shore natives Robert Giuliani and Abby Taylor recreated their favorite recipes from surfing locations they visited and founded Playa Bowls – the shop that currently includes over 50 locations in 6 states with more on the way!

Now that I have tried an acai bowl, I am hooked! Always one to like food cold or frozen (you know my love for ice pops and slushies!), these bowls are a perfect treat for me! What a great discovery!

Have you tried an acai or pitaya bowl? What ingredients are your favorites? Do you have a recipe you can share?

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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a life-size gingerbread house

December 14, 2018

Yes, I am a Food Network junkie. And, since I love to bake, I particularly enjoy any show that includes baking! Currently, that show is The Holiday Baking Championship on Monday nights!

I was recently lucky enough to meet a current contestant, 35 year old Lerome Campbell, one of 3 bakers at the Ritz-Carlton beach resort in Naples, Florida.

At this time of year, Lerome is something of a local celebrity because of his part in creating a gingerbread house in the lobby of the Ritz hotel. Each year, pastry chefs at the Ritz-Carlton beach resort plan, bake and construct a life-sized gingerbread house. This year’s creation used 60,000 pieces of candy, 1,200 gingerbread bricks, 464 eggs, and is held together with 400 lbs. of icing! No small feat, the house required 1,000 hours to put together!

The first challenge on last Monday’s episode of The Holiday Baking Championship was for contestants to prepare a classic chocolate holiday dessert with the addition of two common pantry items. Lerome chose to create a chocolate trifle that incorporated potato chips and red wine…interesting combo! Coating the potato chips in melted chocolate and then sprinkling them with peppermint insured a crunchy, flavorful chip. He simmered the red wine into a thick reduction and layered it into the dessert.

Even with the twist of having to incorporate the secret ingredient of fruit cake into his second dessert creation of a pecan financier on the episode, Lerome was able to avoid elimination and is advancing to the finale.

I’m rooting for my new friend Lerome next Monday (December 17^th) when he competes on the finale episode!

I should mention, since the gingerbread house at the hotel is not available for tasting (it is lacquered after constructed – so it is totally inedible), I made sure to taste every one of Lerome’s creations while visiting his hotel! I probably tasted at least a dozen desserts and they were all beautiful and delicious! One of my favorites was the yuzu crème brulee.

Hope you enjoyed today’s Friday field trip and a glimpse of the 2018 gingerbread house created by Lerome Campbell and the bakers at the Ritz-Carlton beach resort in Naples, Florida.

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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apple pie slushie

October 9, 2018

We have a lot of wonderful farms here in Connecticut. This is the time of year when everyone makes an obligatory trip to an apple and/or pumpkin farm. I stopped at a farm this past weekend to grab some freshly picked apples and some locally made apple cider.

With the summer-like temperatures in Connecticut this past weekend, I wasn’t thinking of baking a hot apple pie! Instead, I made an apple slushie from my farm fresh ingredients!

Why not get creative with slushies? (Have you seen the red wine slushies?)

Hot temp. Cold slushie. What’s not to like? And, the fact that the slushie was apple made it totally seasonal! It was delicious and refreshing ~ sort of like a chilly applesauce!

I used a honeycrisp apple for my slushie since that was the variety of apple I purchased at the farm and I thought it had the perfect amount of sweetness. A honeycrisp is a cross between a macoun and a honeygold. Obviously, you can substitute any variety of apple you prefer.

If you give the recipe a try, be sure to adjust the spices to your own liking before adding the ice.

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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grilled cherry tomato skewers

September 4, 2018

As a kid, I would never even consider eating a tomato! Not sure why, because, as an adult, I look forward to this time of year when local tomatoes are beautifully ripe and ready to enjoy!

There are so many wonderful ways to eat tomatoes. You can’t beat a tomato tart when made with fresh, ripe produce! (Click here for a great recipe.)

Another fabulous, but very simple way to eat a tomato is grilled. And, skewers of cherry tomatoes, hot off the grill, are so very flavorful! I love eating grilled cherry tomatoes on toast spread with goat cheese. Or, just all on their own, sprinkled with salt!

Grilling skewers of cherry tomatoes is simple enough. If I am using them on toast, I just grill them, as is, on skewers. I season them once they are on the bread. If I am eating them plain, I first toss them in a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper before skewering and grilling. Either way, they grill up fast and taste fabulous! Heating them up makes their flavor explode!

So, if you have a bumper crop of cherry tomatoes…or, have just picked some up at your local farmers market, be sure to try some skewered and heated on the grill! Tasty!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things…like seasonally delicious tomatoes!

Thanks for stopping by, Jackie

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sprinkled with love

August 28, 2018

I truly believe personalization is the key to a great party. And, creating favors that do a great job of embracing the occasion are a key component of any successful celebration!

I have a great example from a recent family baby shower I wanted to share – it should definitely get your creative juices flowing!

So, the mom-to-be had a passion for a particular brand of sprinkles. The future dad had always loved animal crackers. What better way to personalize a baby shower favor, than to incorporate these 2 loves! How?

To execute this into a baby shower favor, a tin baby-sized cup was used to house some animal crackers. To elevate the garden variety animal cracker, they were dipped into white chocolate and then sprinkles before getting packaged in cellphone bags. Baby bracelets crafted of beads by the grandma-to-be were attached to each cup as a place card and a ‘sprinkled with love’ tag was added. Cute, right? Of course, there were many ways to carry through the sprinkles (like the cake!) and animal themes throughout the rest of the party!

Can you think of a cool way to incorporate personal elements into the favors you create for your next celebration?

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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cereal treat bowls

August 21, 2018

Cereal treat dessert bowls have been popular for a while now. I thought I’d give it a try just once so I could put my own spin on it.

Since everything I’ve seen has been made with plain rice or fruit cereal, I decided to make some cereal treat bowls with a chocolate cereal. And what flavor goes best with chocolate? A darker chocolate? Coffee? Raspberry? Peanut butter? That’s it! I decided on peanut butter.

Peanut butter mousse in a chocolate cereal bowl sounds like a good combination!

I made the standard cereal treat recipe of 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, 10 oz. of melted marshmallows, and 6 cups of cereal. I lightly sprayed some small bowls with cooking spray (and sprayed a little on my hands as well). Using my favorite little Anthro bowls as a guide, I spooned the mixture into them and used my fingers to form the mixture into a bowl shape. Since I don’t have air-conditioning, I popped them into the fridge for a little bit to set them up.

I chose little bowls to make a nice sized individual serving, but you can make your bowls in any size you’d like! Since I am making a mousse to put inside, I am leaving them as is. If you plan on putting something more liquidy (I know this probably isn’t a word) than a mousse, I would suggest melting some chocolate and spreading a coat to harden on the bottom before adding anything so it will act as a seal and prevent any of your dessert from leaking out.

For the peanut butter mixture – kind of a cross between a mousse and a cheesecake – I beat together 4 oz. cream cheese, 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 2/3 cup heavy cream till smooth and then beat on high speed for a minute or two. I spooned this into the cups and garnished them with milk chocolate shavings. I think peanut butter ice cream would have been a better choice than the mousse idea. Whatever you spoon into the dessert bowls, be sure to do it just before serving so the bowls don’t get soggy.

Make a cereal treat bowl. Check. Have you tried making one? What did you serve inside it?

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great week!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. If you liked this, click here to see a similar treat I made recently…peanut butter cereal treat bites.

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top 3 summer seltzers

July 17, 2018

What is your beverage of choice for the summer if you aren’t drinking alcohol?

My fave is iced tea…but once in a while, a few bubbles are in order! When the urge for bubbles occurs, seltzer is the obvious, and refreshing, choice!

I am thinking seltzer must be a choice for many out there since there are SO many different ones available! Today, I thought I would give you the benefit of some extensive research in seltzer tasting and present my choice for the top 3 summer seltzers!

Overall, citrus flavors are the best summer seltzer flavors since they are the most refreshing in the hot weather. But, a non-citrus flavor did make it to the number 3 spot. That is La Croix’s coconut flavored seltzer.

At the number 2 spot for the best summer seltzers is Waterloo in either lime or grapefruit. The best place to find Waterloo is at Whole Foods. I haven’t seen it at any other store.

And, in the number 1 spot for the best summer seltzer is…drum roll, please!

Polar’s starfruit lemonade!

That is my quick list of top 3 summer seltzers. If you like seltzer, be sure to give them a try. Let me know how they stack up to your fave!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you are enjoying your summer!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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milk house chocolates at thorncrest farm

July 13, 2018

Connecticut constantly amazes me. I have lived here my whole live and I am still able to discover some great, new places on a regular basis!

Milk House Chocolates at Thorncrest Farm was a recent discovery that blew me away. Artisanal chocolates are made in small batches one at a time with no preservatives using their own fresh milk, cream, and butter.

The phrase coined by the farm ‘the magic is in the milk” is an understatement!

The farm operates on a core focus of comfort and happiness of their cows. They recognize each cow’s individual flavor in the milk, and ensure that flavor isn’t compromised by never allowing the cows to be stressed out! Kimberly and Clint Thorn believe great flavor from milk comes from lack of stress – that any kind of stress shows up right away in the milk. Everything from which cow is sitting next to which, to the hay they eat (they are fed only the sweetest hay and natural feeds) and the comfort of their beds can directly affect the flavor of their milk, so every little detail related to the cow’s happiness is considered!

Each chocolate is connected to a very specific cow, with each cow’s milk making an unbelievable difference in the flavor of the chocolates. For instance, after meeting the cow Daydream, I discovered every single caramel at Milk House is made strictly from her milk since the sweetness and flavor of her milk, with its ivory, buttery tone, makes it the best choice for a great tasting caramel!

I was fascinated to find out that milk works much in the same way as wine – just like each wine has a specific type of grape from a specific region and is affected greatly by the climate, soil, and other factors – milk works much in the same way. So, the 122 unique chocolates in rotation throughout the year at Milk House Chocolates are determined by several factors – including which cows are milking at that time!

These chocolates are truly amazing – of course, the freshness is off the chart, but also, they melt different, taste different, and feel different than a typical chocolate. I tasted the root beer filled and the dark chocolate and peanut butter with sea salt and couldn’t believe the fresh, rich tastiness of each piece.

A fresh peanut butter sea salt chocolate.

I brought myself home a bag of caramels made from Daydream’s milk. I really wanted to bring home some fresh milk infused with vanilla bean (doesn’t that sound luscious?), but I hadn’t brought a cooler with me so I couldn’t safely transport it home.

What a find this place is! I can’t wait to make another visit!

Biting into a fresh root beer filled chocolate at Thorncrest Farm.

Note: In addition to visiting Thorncrest Farm in Goshen, Connecticut, you may enjoy making a day of exploring 10 farms in Goshen this summer. The tour is offered free of charge on August 4^th and 5^th through the Goshen Agricultural Council.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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deviled eggs, hold the mayo

July 10, 2018

People find it hard to believe I don’t like mayonnaise. It’s true.

And, I think the reason I have never been crazy about deviled eggs is because of the mayonnaise in the filling. I’ve always eaten the outside, white of the egg and left the filling!

I decided if the mayo could be eliminated from the filling of the egg, I could enjoy the entire deviled egg!

So, for this year’s 4^th of July celebration, I made deviled eggs…minus the mayo!

My idea was to substitute yogurt – which I do like – for the mayo. I always have plain nonfat Greek yogurt in my fridge. I added that, as well as some fresh herbs from my garden, to the yolks of eggs for my deviled egg filling.

I boiled up a dozen organic eggs and got to work!

Here is what I ended up adding to a dozen egg yolks:

1/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons organic, plain, nonfat Greek yogurt (you can adjust to desired consistency)
3 Tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
3 teaspoons fresh chopped mint (plus more for garnish)
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 teaspoon sea salt

I cut the 12 eggs in half lengthwise. The 12 egg yolks went into a bowl and were mixed with the ingredients above. I mixed well with a fork. (Maybe a mixer could be used here for more of a whipped consistency filling, but I didn’t have one available.) After the filling was mixed well, I piped it (not very neatly, as you can see!) back into the egg white halves and finished with salt and pepper to taste and some chopped fresh mint from my garden to finish!

My deviled egg creations came out really tasty! Now that I have tried a nontraditional filling, I think next time I experiment with deviled eggs, I may just remove the yolks altogether! Alter the spices to suit your taste. (Try the Trader Joe’s everything bagel spice!)

Thanks for stopping by! Have a really fabulous and safe holiday!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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the party flamingo

July 3, 2018

Since today’s post is right during the holiday week, I’d like to introduce you to our new addition for the holiday. Here, my friends, is Floyd! He really has a way of getting people together and making them smile!

Standing over 15 feet tall, he has an imposing presence. He can keep a very large group entertained and is very accommodating – providing his own cooler and plenty of seating with multiple cup holders!

Floyd or no Floyd, I hope you are enjoying your weekend as much as we are! Thanks to my son for including Floyd in our holiday festivities!

Have a fabulous and safe 4^th of July!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. Click here for the link if you want to order your own Floyd – have him delivered close to where you will use him since he is pretty heavy. He comes with an electric pump, so you will need to be near an outlet or have an extension cord to get him inflated.

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pleasure in simple things

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discovering the acai bowl

a life-size gingerbread house

apple pie slushie

grilled cherry tomato skewers

sprinkled with love

cereal treat bowls

top 3 summer seltzers

milk house chocolates at thorncrest farm

deviled eggs, hold the mayo

the party flamingo